The newspaper mentioned almost all nations Ri had contact with -- China, Russia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Venezuela, the Ivory Coast, Algeria, Cuba, Burundi, Norway and Brazil. It also noted Ri met with the UN undersecretary general in charge of political affairs and the chief of the United Nations Children's Fund.

    "In the meetings, Minister Ri Yong-ho discussed ways to improve bilateral relationships with those countries and enhance cooperation on the UN stage," said the newspaper.

    But it did not mention Ri's meetings with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in New York on Sept. 26.

    Pompeo revealed after his meeting with Ri that he agreed to visit North Korea in October, while Kono said he held talks with the North's top diplomat for 20 minutes.

    Watchers say the Pyongyang media may have intentionally dropped Ri's contact with the US and Japan due to the sensitivity of the North's relations with the two countries. They speculate that Pyongyang seems to have concluded that it's too early to let the North Korean people know the progress of its tug-of-war with the US over denuclearization.

    Indeed, the North's Korean Central News Agency said in the morning that Pyongyang will not hope for an end-of-war declaration if the US does not want it, adding that the issue should not be used as a "bargaining chip" in denuclearization talks. (Yonhap)